To prepare natural grass golf greens for play, the greens are cored with an auger to create a regulation 4.25 inch diameter hole. A hard plastic liner is typically inserted to preserve the shape of the hole and hold a flag. Since proper putting velocity is a honed skill and because a ball stroked with excessive velocity may strike the back side of the hole and bounce out, it is undesirable that the ball strike hard plastic which is a relatively elastic surface compared to bare earth. Therefore, the cup liner is generally set about 1 to 1.5 inches beneath the grass surface leaving a bare earth strip. This earth surface at the top portion of the hole upholds traditional elements of the game and does not cause the ball to bounce out of the hole in an unwarranted fashion.
There are two main problems observed in the typical golf course which are solved by the present invention. Firstly, a natural colored background gives the hole relatively low visibility to greens players some yards distant from the cup. Lower visibility can increase a player's difficulty and worsen his score. Spectators both at the course and over a television broadcast also generally have difficulty seeing the hole. Such difficulties can reduce the pleasure of the event.
To overcome this basic difficulty, a golfer may typically use a person to "spot the cup" by holding the flag in place until the ball is struck. In televised tournament play, the exposed earth may be coated with white latex paint. However, this procedure requires a special paint spraying apparatus which is expensive, time consuming to use and the paint flakes off over time and use.
A second well known difficulty results when the exposed earth portion of the hole drys out during the day and gets trodden. The hole lip, originally sharp, can become rounded as the soil drys and crumbles and wears from play. This may present players at the end of the day with greater (but unfair) opportunity to get a ball, which might otherwise hang on the lip, to drop in the hole. This is particularly a problem for golf courses which do not relocate each hole every day.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,439 to McGuire describes a protector and marker device for an imbedded sprinkler head as might be found on a large lawn including golf courses. The device is tubular shaped with a flange ring attached to the outer edge. The device is forced into the ground surrounding the sprinkler head. The ring acts to mark the sprinkler head and limits the depth of the insertion. The ring can include indicia indicating the distance from the cup when used on golf courses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,698 to Troiano describes a putting aid and golf cup cover device. This device is designed to be used during practice sessions to improve one's putting accuracy. By reducing the diameter of the cup and simulating artificial grass on the cup lip, a player will increase his putting accuracy. This device uses flexible finger members against the inside of the cup to secure a position over the cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,665 to Boudreau et al. describes a golf cup unit having an insert disc mounted within the cup at the bottom thereof and twist-on connections for attaching the disc to the cup unit. Advertisements can be printed on an upper face of the disc for viewing by a golfer after the flag is removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,023 to Gelina describes a golf putting aid made from a cylindrical insert made from spongy rubber material fitted at the top of the cup. The device is designed to reduce the diameter of the cup to force a player to have greater putting accuracy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,856 to Bookspan describes a golf cup for artificial greens comprising a golf cup having an inserted cylindrical layer of a compressible substance (e.g. rubber) secured to the upper end of the cup. The layer is said to closely approximate the frictional contact between a golf ball and the grass/root transition area of a real grass golf hole.
It is, therefore, a feature of the present invention to provide a golf hole collar which in normal use provides high visibility while improving both the hole conditions and performance of the golfer.
A feature of the present invention is to provide a golf hole collar which improves the consistency of golf hole characteristics.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a golf hole collar which reduces golf course maintenance costs.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a golf hole collar which improves golf hole visibility for players, spectators and the television coverage of golfing events.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a golf hole collar which is inexpensive, simple to use and stays firmly in place.
Yet another feature of the invention is to provide a golf hole collar which does not change the dimensions of the golf hole itself.
Still another feature of the invention is to provide a golf hole collar which does not change the compression characteristics of the golf hole itself.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a golf hole collar which assists in holding the shape of the hole.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a golf hole collar which prevents the hole from collapsing.
Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a golf hole collar which acts as a "target" which is highly visible to the golfer.
Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a golf hole collar which is easily installed without any special tools.
Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a golf hole collar wherein the exterior surface includes a plurality of radial cleats for better attachment to an earthen golf hole.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a golf hole collar wherein the base of said collar is relatively thicker than the upper wall portion to adapt to the varying size of the golf hole liner.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized by means of the combinations and steps particularly pointed out in the appended claims.